BRIDGETON — A
coordinated neighborhood watch effort could create a network of trained eyes
and ears to assist police in driving crime out of the Bridgeton area, residents
Mike Abbott and Mary Messeck said on Thursday.

Abbott, of Bridgeton, and Messeck, cofounder of Center City Crime Watch
of Millville with Robert McQuade, led an organizational meeting for the
burgeoning initiative on Thursday, and they hope to recruit other residents to
participate simply by observing and reporting crime, code violations and
suspicious behavior in an effective manner from their sections of the city.

"You know what's normal in your area and what's not," Messeck said. "...The
city officials make the rules, the police enforce them and as citizens we have
to abide by the rules. When everybody works well together, it fits together
like a puzzle and sends a message silently that says this is our neighborhood,
and we're not going to tolerate crime."

Group leaders Abbott, Messeck and McQuade strongly discourage residents from confronting criminals or conducting vigilante patrols. However, Bridgeton's
neighborhood watch effort will include training resources on how to most
effectively observe and report incidents or suspicions to the police, who then
may respond to the concerns in an enforcement capacity.

"Presence is intimidation," Abbott said. "You've got to let people know
you're watching out for them. I want us to be a valuable asset to the city."

Chief Mark Ott of the Bridgeton Police Department distributed a neighborhood
watch manual from the USAonWatch National Neighborhood Watch Program, as well
as tips on how to assist police best when reporting concerns. Ott said specific
information on location; direction of travel; what was observed and people
involved, including name, approximate age, estimated height and weight, skin color,
hair color and style and clothing, can aid officers in responding to a
situation with maximum efficacy.

Messeck brought up a recent Bridgeton case in which a burglar was caught
cashing in a container of stolen coins as an example of how effective this
sharing of information can be. Likewise, in Millville, a rash of daytime
break-ins was brought to a halt when a mail carrier called the police after
seeing something that struck him as suspicious.

Mary Messeck, cofounder of Center City Crime Watch of Millville, speaks about ways Bridgeton residents can get involved in a neighborhood watch effort as her daughter, Mary, and Mike Abbott listen on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013.Staff photo

"If you see something while you're walking your dog, call it in," said
McQuade, a retired special officer in Millville. "Try to give information on
things like color of hair, any markings or tattoos, same with a car — even
giving half a tag number is better than no tag at all, and that gives cause to
stop a vehicle."

Residents can send information anonymously to the Bridgeton police by
text messaging the key word "BRIDGETON" followed by the tip information to TIP411
(847411). Ott said the text-message system is best suited for crimes that already
have occurred, information that may aid an ongoing investigation or tips that
don't necessarily require immediate action by the police.

"If you see something like a fight in the middle of the street or someone
climbing through a window, that information should be provided by phone call,"
Ott said. Callers may provide information to the Bridgeton police at
856-451-0033 without identifying themselves by name.

In response to a "no-snitching" culture that deters many from reporting
crime, Abbott pointed out the protections in place by way of anonymous
reporting and said he hopes his fellow residents favor a safe city over any
stigma surrounding so-called "snitching."

"In my opinion, if people choose to live like that it's a shame," he
said. "We want to relieve the people who live in fear of that fear. And it's
all well and good to say it'll work if we do this, but the people in the city
of Bridgeton have to get involved."

Mayor Albert Kelly said information on the neighborhood watch initiative
can be distributed on the Community Action Team walks conducted regularly by
city and code officials with citizen volunteers and clergy members. Resident
Gloria Cortez offered to assist with translation of materials from English to
Spanish to encourage participation by members of Hispanic communities.

Kelly noted the Community Action Teams already have encountered "several
hundred code violations" since implementing neighborhood walks, and he said he
believes the extra sets of eyes and ears to aid law enforcement and code
officials can make a difference regarding crime as well.

"If we can get a network of people doing that, we will be a safer city,"
Kelly said.

Messeck provides information to Center City Crime Watch of Millville
participants with the help of a Facebook page and block captains, and Abbott
said the Bridgeton neighborhood watch effort will implement similar
communication methods. The group organizers hope that coordinated efforts
across the county can help combat crime that clearly has not been confined to city
limits in Bridgeton, Millville or their neighboring towns.

"We all need to come together and work together," Messeck said. "What
affects one town is affecting everybody else too."

The Bridgeton neighborhood watch group will meet again on Thursday, Feb. 21
at 6 p.m. at the Bridgeton Police and Municipal Complex, 330 Fayette St. Anyone
interested in participating in the effort is encouraged to attend.

For more information, contact Mike Abbott at 609-774-6571 or Mary Messeck
at 856-982-7323 or maryhymer@aol.com.